The Granite Compact Pickup is a true compact pickup that reminds us of classic garden trucks like the Chevy LUV and Toyota Pickup.

The wheelbase is only around 110 inches, but its 4-foot-long cargo box can be extended to 6 feet. Two side-hinged Dutch-style doors replace a conventional one-piece fold-down tailgate. When the doors are opened, a pallet that forms part of the floor of the cargo box can be pulled out to provide extra bed space.

The cargo box also features small access panels that slide down into the sides of the box to provide easy access to the space behind the cab. Black chrome trim decorates the tops of the bed rails.

Extra utility is provided via a trick folding "pack rack" that's stowed under the floor of the cargo box. The rack can be easily flipped up to provide a raised platform to carry a surfboard or ladder above the cargo space. Cubbies surround the interior of the box to provide dry, secure storage.

"There's an integrated air compressor in the bed, like the [2001] Chevy Borrego concept had," McCann said. "All of these premium features are what make this a GMC. It’s why they are there. A Chevy version of this pickup would be simpler."

Propulsion for the front-wheel-drive Granite runabout would come from a frugal 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine.

Will this Granite be produced? Not likely. We're told it's only a design study, but we're sure GM is watching closely for feedback on the ideas that inspired it.

Dramatic styling aside, could a small truck like the Granite Compact Pickup find a niche in the U.S. today, like the successful compact pickups of the 1970s and '80s?